Endless comb feeder



Filed Jan. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l JH-UCMMW .LHE'ulnlp J. H. FULMER ENDLESS COMB FEEDER Filed Jan. 4,1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ditoiuugo.

E o m w 5% L ,Q 8 QM W WW J. H. FULMER Sept. 4, 1934.

ENDLESS COMBFFEEDER Filed Jan. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l-IIII FII r I anon W1 Patented Sept. 4, 1934 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,972,516 ENDLESS COMB FEEDER Joseph H. Fulmer, Nazareth, Pa. Application January 4, 1932, Serial No. 584,677

2 Claims. (Cl. 198161) This invention relates to a device designed for The device embodies a frame indicated generartificially curing hay'or other forage crops, the ally by the reference character 8, which frame primary object of the invention being to provide a comprises upper sections 9. that provide supports device of this character so constructed that an for the motors 10, shafts 11 and pulleys 12 that absolute uniform body of material may be formed receive motion from the motors 10, through the 60 to provide a ribbon or stream of even density and belts 13. thickness. 'The reference character 14 designates eleva- An important object of the invention is to protors, each of which comprises an elongated housvide a device of this character so constructed that ing 15, the housing being inclined so that the the thickness of the mass or ribbon formed by the lower ends thereof reston the ground surface, 5 machine may be varied to meet various conditions. while the upper ends of the elongated housings,

Another object of the invention is to provide a are secured to the upper sections of the frame, the curing device wherein the conveyors and their elongated housings being disposed on opposite housings are so arranged that the device will be sides of the base, and arranged so that the upper 15 self cleaning. ends thereof are disposed in -close relation with 70 With the foregoing and other objects in view, respect to each other. which will appear as the description proceeds, the Mounted at each'end of each elevator housing, invention resides in the combination and arrangeis a shaft it to which shafts sprockets 17 are ment of parts and in the details of construction secured, the sprockets 17 providing supports for 20 hereinafter described and claimed, it being unthe endless chains 18. Transverse bars 19 con 76 derstood that changes in the precise embodiment met the chains, and are arranged in spaced relaof the invention herein disclosed, may be made tion with respect to each other so that hay and within the scope of what is claimed, without dethe usual forage crop, may be supported and parting from the spirit of the invention. carried to the upper end of the machine, by the Referring to the drawings: endless conveyors. 80

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through Thus it will be seen that due to this construca machine constructed in accordance with the tion, the endless conveyors will operate through invention. the elevator housingsjwithout danger of slipping Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken on line 2-2 under the weight of the material positioned of Figure l. thereon.

Figure 3 is an elevational view illustrating the Supported within the upper section of the upper, ends of the elevators and distributing spout frame, is a hopper 20, which is formed with a into which the elevators discharge-material, the spout that has its lower end disposed within the distributing spout being shown in section. upper end of the pivoted spout 22, the spout 22 Referring to the drawings in detail, the referbeing designed to discharge material into the90 ence character 5 designates the base on which the reserve bin 23, which has its side walls formed machine forming the essence of the invention, is of glass material, to permit the material passing mounted. through the machine to be viewed, while moving As shown more clearly by Figure 1 of the drawto the oven or furnace.

ings, the base forms a part of the oven, which In the lower end of the frame, and disposed 5 is indicated by the reference character 6, the oven directly under the reserve bin, is a curved membeing elongated and of the type shown in my ber 24 which lies in the path of travel of ma- Patent Number 1,788,099, granted under date of terial passing from the reserve bin, thereby pro- January 6, 1931. viding means to support the weight of the ma- Operating within the oven is an endless conterial passing to the endless conveyor 7, and re- 100 veyor indicated by the reference character 7, which lieving the endless conveyor of the weight of the carries the material under treatment, into the contents of the spout and reserve bin. oven, where the material is heated and properly Movement is transmitted to the endless chains cured. 18 of the elevators, through the sprockets 25 The device forming the subject matter of the mounted on the shafts 16 at the upper ends of 105 present invention, is mounted on the base 5, and the elevator housings, which sprockets receive so arranged that it will discharge material onto motion from the main shafts 11 through the the endless conveyor '7, where the material is sprockets 27 mounted thereon, and chains 27 properly combed or spread, to form a ribbon of a operating over the sprockets 25 and 2'7.

uniform thickness. Secured to the frame 8, are arms 28 that are 110 1 g 50, at its lower end.

7 formed with bearings to receive the shaft 29 on which the eccentric 30 is secured, the eccentric being connected with the rod 31, that has connection with one end of the bell crank lever 32, which bell crank lever is mounted on the arm 33 that is mounted on the frame.

Connected with the opposite end of the bell crank lever 33 is a rod 34 that extends forwardly and connects with the frame 36 in which the upper end of the pivoted spout 22 is mounted.

Openings are formed in the bell crank lever, to receive the right angled ends of the rods 31 and 34, so that movement of the rods and pivoted spout 22, may be regulated, to vary the movement of the spout, and better adapt the spout for use in treating various types and grades of materials.

Forming an important feature of the device, is the endless combing member 3'7, which operates over sprockets 38 and 39, the sprockets 38 and 39 being disposed at the ends of the endless combing member 37. v 1 I As clearly shown by Figure 1 of the drawings this endless combing member is supported on the arms 41 that in turn have pivotal connection with the bracket 42, so that the endless combing member may be raised or lowered, at the will of the operator.

An adjusting member indicated at 43 is provided at one end of the endless combing member, and is constructed so that the slack of the endless combing member maybe eliminated. The arms 41 that support the endless combing member, are adjusted vertically by means of the cables 44 secured thereto, the cables being wound on the shaft 47 that carries the gear 46. The gear 46 is operated by the worm 48 disposed at the upper end of the rod 49, the rod being provided with a crank Thus it will be seen that by rotating the crank 50, the gear 46 may be rotated to ,raise or lower the endless combing member in such a way that the material may be evenly distributed over the endless conveyor that feeds the material into the oven or furnace.

It might be further stated that the endless combing member embodies a plurality of rows of teeth 50, that contact with the material, and spread the material/over the endless conveyor 7.

Adjusting screws 53 are associated with the bearing blocks 52' in which the shaft at one end of the endless conveyor 7 operates, the adjustment being provided to remove the slack from the conveyor '7.

Rotary movement is transmitted to the shaft 54, on which'sprockets are mounted, and over which sprockets the endless combing member'op'erates through the medium of the pulley 55, motor 60 pulley 56, there being provided a belt 5'7,

for transmitting movement between the pulleys.

A chain 58 operates over a sprocket on the shaft 54, and also operates over the sprocket 59 that operates the shaft on which the eccentric 30 is mounted.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that due to the construction shown and described, material fed into the lower ends of the. elevators 14, will be carried upwardly and deposited in the hopper 20, from where thematerial falls into the pivoted spout 22,. and is delivered into the reserve hopper. The material is now fed onto the endless conveyor 7, which .moves into the oven or furnace.

As the material passes under the combing member, the material is leveled and straightened, to

the end that the material passes into the oven or furnace, in an even mass of a uniform thickness and density, and the curing of the material is accomplished with facility.

Having thus described the'invention what is claimed is:.

1. A device for forming forage crops into a ribbon-like mass and feeding the ribbonlike mass into'a curing ovenycomprisirig an endless conveyor operating in one direction, a combing member including endless chains, teeth. extending from the chains, said. combing member operating in substantially parallelspaced relation with the conveyor throughout a portion of the travel of the combing member, a portion of the travel of the combing member being at an oblique angle with respectto the endless conveyor providing ,a reserve chamber between the conveyor and combing memberatthe feed end of theaconveyor, said combing member operating in a direction less conveyor, whereby the material on the endless conveyor is combed and formed into a ribbon-like mass of a predetermined thickness.

2. A device for forming forage crops into a'ribbon-likemass, comprising an endless conveyor, a combing member comprising a central shaft and end shafts, the central shaft operating at a point above the level of one of the end shafts, the shaft at the opposite end of the combing member operating at a point above the level of the central shaft, an endless member having teeth, operating over the shafts, said combing "member operating at an oblique angle with respect to the endless conveyor throughout a portion of its travel, and said combing member adapted to rake material towards the receiving end of the conveyor.

JOSEPH H. FULMER.

opposite. to the direction of movement of the end- Q 

